Floodwaters rose 7 meters (23 feet) overnight in Krymsk, the news agency said, flooding homes while most people were still asleep. Others were rescued by police after seeking refuge on roofs and in trees, it said.

The death toll has climbed steadily through the day as the waters have gradually subsided, allowing police to find more bodies in flooded buildings in Krymsk.

Television footage from the Krasnodar region showed scenes of flooded streets, stranded vehicles and people wading through torrents of knee-deep muddy water outside homes.

The state-run Ria Novosti news agency said dozens of passenger trains have been diverted in the region as the water level remains 19 inches above the tracks.